The Bansfield Benefice is the collective name for the Parishes of Cowlinge, Denston, Lidgate, Ousden, Stansfield, Stradishall and Wickhambrook in the Diocese of St Edmundbury and Ipswich, Suffolk, United Kingdom.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Why not join us for the Ash Wednesday service at All Saints' church Wickhambrook.

The service draws on the ancient Biblical traditions of covering one's head with ashes, wearing sackcloth, and fasting.

In Ash Wednesday services churchgoers are marked on the forehead with a cross of ashes as a sign of penitence and mortality. The use of ashes, made by burning palm crosses from the previous Palm Sunday, is very symbolic.

God our Father, you create us from the dust of the earth.

Grant that these ashes may be for us a sign of our penitence, and a symbol of our mortality.

The minister or priest marks each worshipper on the forehead, and says "remember you are dust and unto dust you shall return", or a similar phrase based on God's sentence on Adam in Genesis 3:19.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Over the Christmas period the Bansfield Benefice has been successfully raising money for the Children's Society. The Carol Service at Wickhambrook raised £65 and the Carol Service at Stansfield raised £225. The Christingle Service at Ousden in January raised £100. Many thanks to everyone for your kindness and generosity to this very worthwhile cause.

Our final fund-raising event is the Annual Box Collection. This will be completed by the end of February, and the Benefice co-ordinator for the Children's Society is hoping the Box Collection for this year will raise £400.